This invention relates to an article of manufacture, and specifically to a mass transferable semiconductor substrate processing and handling full shell carrier, to receive and hold disc or plate-like semiconductor substrates for subsequent processing; for example, in an oxidation or polycrystaline diffusion tube apparatus.
Various types of processing and handling carriers for semiconductor substrates are used in the industry. One type consists of a clear fused quartz tube section (full shell) with either slots or holes cut in the shell to allow gas flow, and a semi standard style wafer carried suspended inside this shell. This type of carrier has been used in the industry under part number 4668 series manufactured by Worden Products, subsidiary of Heraeus Amersil, Incorporated, and described in the catalog thereof. The semiconductor substrates are loaded into the "semi standard" type carrier in any one of, but not limited to, three load configurations. The first load configuration being 26 substrates being loaded back to back in pairs of 2 into 13 supporting slots. The second load configuration being 26 substrates being loaded back to back in 26 separate slots, this being a "proximity" back to back load. The third load configuration being 52 substrates being loaded back to back in pairs of 2 into 26 supporting slots. The "semi-standard" style wafer carrier is then placed into the bottom half of the shell and the top half of the shell is placed over the wafer carrier. This complete assembly is then loaded into the diffusion furnace tube for subsequent processing.